How the world's population has changed and when it will reach eight billion

The world's human population is growing rapidly and is expected to hit eight billion in the next 10 years, according to the latest figures.

The impact this has on the world is huge. Currently scientists are deciding whether to approve the term Anthropocene, a new era in Earth's history in which humans rather than natural forces are the primary drivers of planetary change.

This is due to high birth and low death rates - especially in developing countries. While death rates have lowered with some modern healthcare and knowledge, the higher birth rates in these countries have remained.

The global increase is driven by present-day population growth in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa regions.

The Europe and Central Asia and North America regions have had slower growth in recent years. While these regions are still growing, lower birth rates in developed nations have led to older populations that are growing more slowly.

Currently, there are over twice as many human births than deaths on Earth.